Open to God’s surprising Incarnations
Today’s post is from Bondings 2.0 contributor M. Hakes (they/them).
Today’s liturgical readings for the 4th Sunday of Advent can be found here.
This Sunday, our Advent journey reaches its culmination just on the brink of the joyous celebration of Christmas. Advent, a season of anticipation, preparation, and hopeful waiting, and Christmas, a celebration of the Incarnation, when God fully takes on our humanity in the Christ Child, both seem so appropriately queer times.
The transformative power of love, embodied in the Incarnation, is a beacon guiding us toward a more inclusive and compassionate understanding of faith. As Saint Catherine of Siena wisely wrote, “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” The joy of Christmas is not merely a sentimental festivity but a radical affirmation of God’s boundless love for all. It also reveals the work we need to do to bring about this kin-dom of God patience and perseverance.
We queer Catholics and our companions have worked tirelessly for a Church that truly welcomes and embraces of LGBTQ+ people: a Church firmly rooted in Jesus’s charge to share the light and love of the Gospel with all people, especially those who are marginalized. Amidst our anticipation, preparation, and hopeful waiting, we have seen (often slow) progress towards a Church that more closely resembles Christ’s radical call to love and inclusion.
Today’s second liturgical reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans is a concluding doxology which praises God’s wisdom and the revelation of the mystery hidden for ages but now made manifest through Jesus Christ. This mystery, encompassing salvation for all nations, is a source of joy and hope and this mystery of salvation continues to unfold. Each season of Advent rekindles our awareness of God’s ongoing work in our lives and in the world. The joy expressed in Paul’s doxology becomes our own, as we recognize that God’s plan for salvation is not confined by time, space, or human understanding, but is a universal invitation extended to all.
What a profound moment of early Christmas joy it was to read the news of Pope Francis opening the Church to blessing queer couples. This decision feels like a sea change when only two years ago the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith proclaimed: God “cannot bless sin.” Truly, our liberative call for queer inclusion finds its consummate expression in the radiant joy of Christmas. In the words of this Sunday’s psalm, “For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”
In today’s Gospel recounting of the Annunciation, we hear of Mary’s fiat, her “yes” to what the angel Gabriel has just proclaimed. Mary’s consent exemplifies the very essence of Advent: anticipating the Incarnation, the Word becoming flesh, the moment when the very life breath of God entered into a tabernacle of flesh, blood, and bone. Through this act of immense love, as Jesus takes on our cloak of humanness, that we are made whole, rebirthed as Children of Light.
Mary’s openness to God’s plan and her deep trust and surrender serve as a model for us as we continue to strive for a Church built on love, welcoming all. Mary’s fiat challenges us to examine the depth of our own trust in God’s providence, especially when faced with the unexpected and the unknown. As scripture consistently reveals, God’s plans often unfold in ways we might not immediately comprehend, or put another way, “God writes straight with crooked lines,” words often attributed to St. Teresa of Avila.
The Fourth Sunday of Advent beckons us to the threshold of Christmas (this year a bit more literally), inviting us to reflect on the intertwining themes of hope, trust, and the fulfillment of God’s promises. As we light the fourth Advent candle, let us carry the anticipation cultivated during this season into our daily lives. May we, like Mary, be open to God’s surprising incarnations. May we, like David, recognize that God’s plans exceed our own. And may we, with Paul, offer our own doxology, rejoicing in the mystery of Christ’s redemptive love that transcends all barriers.
As our Advent journey comes to a close, may our hearts echo the words of the psalmist: “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever” (Psalm 72:7).
—M. Hakes, New Ways Ministry, December 24, 2023
M. Hakes’ beautiful words reflect a deep spiritual insight of scripture. I like to take away with me a theme. I pray I may reflect “the radiant joy of Christmas”